Lakeview Village to be included in a landmark study on Life Plan Communities

Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging is partnering with Northwestern University in conducting the Age Well Study, a five-year analysis of the impact of living in a Life Plan Community.

The Age Well Study is the only national longitudinal study evaluating the impact of living in a Life Plan Community on residents’ cognitive, physical, and psychosocial health and well-being. The Age Well Study measures residents’ self-reported health and wellness metrics through a survey taken annually for five years. Results will be compared to a demographically similar sample drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) conducted by the University of Michigan.

This invaluable information will be used to improve the senior living industry.

First-year results are in and they spell good news for Life Plan Community residents. Initial results show:

• 69% of residents reported that moving to a Life Plan Community “somewhat or greatly improved” their social wellness.
• Life Plan Community residents tend to have greater emotional, social, physical, intellectual, and vocational wellness than their community-dwelling counterparts.
• Residents report significantly more healthy behaviors than community dwellers (not just more exercise).

Lakeview Village was approached by Mather Lifeways Institute on Aging, to be a part of “The Age Well Study”.   Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging is seeking Life Care Communities to join 80 other such communities (like Lakeview) across the country in a landmark longitudinal study that will determine the effects of living in a Life Care Community on residents’ long-term health and wellness.  They are currently working with other communities from 30 states, but Kansas was not represented, so they chose Lakeview and offered us the spot to join the study.   In return for participating, Lakeview will receive information and insights, including an individualized report comparing our Lakeview data with all of the other participating Life Care Communities, as well as older adults living in the community-at-large.

You can learn more about it at www.theagewellstudy.com